Chapter 15 Flashcards
The molecules carrying the body’s genetic information; is double stranded in the shape of a double helix
Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)
A rodlike structure in the cell nucleus, along which the genes are located; it is composed of DNA surrounded by other material, mainly proteins
Chromosome
A substance composed of a large number of atoms; these atoms are usually arranged in repeating units, or monomers
Polymer
The unit of DNA consisting of one of four bases - adenine, guanine, cytosine, or thymine - attached to a phosphate-sugar group
Nucleotide
The specific pairing of base A with T and base G with C in double-stranded DNA
Complementary base pairing
Polymers of amino acids that play basic roles in the structures and functions of living things
Proteins
The building blocks of proteins; there are twenty common amino acids; are linked to form a protein; the types of amino acids and the order in which they’re linked determine the character of each protein
Amino acids
The total DNA content found within the nucleus of a human cell; it is composed of approximately three billion base pairs of genetic information
Human genome
The synthesis of new DNA from existing DNA
Replication
A technique for replicating or copying a portion of a DNA strand outside a living cell; this technique leads to millions of copies of the DNA strand
Polymerase chain reaction (PCR)
A region of a chromosome that contains multiple copies is a core DNA sequence that are arranged in a repeating fashion
Tandem repeat
A short strand of DNA used to target a region of DNA for replication by PCR
Primer
The process of joining two complementary strands of DNA to form a double-stranded molecule
Hybridization
Different fragment lengths of base pairs that result from cutting a DNA molecule with restriction enzymes
Restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLPs)
A technique for separating molecules through their migration on a support medium while under the influence of an electrical potential
Electrophoresis
A region of a DNA molecule that contains short segments consisting of three to seven repeating base pairs
Short tandem repeat (STR)
A technique that simultaneously detects more than one DNA marker in a single analysis
Multiplexing
A genetic locus useful for determining gender
Amelogenin gene
Short tandem repeats located in the human Y chromosome
Y-STRs
Small structures located outside the nucleus of a cell; these structures supply energy to the cell; maternally found DNA is found here
Mitochondria
A procedure used to determine the order of the base pairs that constitute DNA
Sequencing
One-trillionth of a gram, or 0.000000000001 gram
Picogram
Fewer than 18 DNA-bearing cells
Low copy number
The outer layer of skin cells; these DNA-bearing cells often fall off or are rubbed onto objects retrieved from crime scenes
Epithelial cells
DNA from skin cells transferred onto the surface of an object by simple contact
Touch DNA
An unstained object adjacent to an area on which biological material has been deposited
Substrate control
Cells derived from the inner cheek lining
Buccal cells
